Free Somebody Like You by Lynnette Austin

they were on her feet and decided the boots really didn’t need to be pretty. They needed to fit well and protect her feet.
    As she tried on several pairs, guilt again seeped into her head. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel guilty for hightailing it halfway across the country without telling her family. In this case, the end did justify the means. She’d come to Texas to try to save her grandfather’s life. Let everyone else sit on their butts. She didn’t intend to. She didn’t worry, either, about any of the obligations she’d walked away from. None of them had been of her choosing.
    But deceiving Cash? That gnawed at her. Being dishonest with him didn’t sit well. So open and honest himself, when he found out who she was, how would he react?
    Badly. Without a doubt. He’d feel duped, taken advantage of. And she couldn’t blame him.
    She thought of the paint chips in his pocket. Lovely jewel colors. But would she be here long enough to get them up on her walls?
    Hard to tell.
    First and foremost, she had to track down her grandfather’s half sister, a woman who would probably hate her on sight—if the rumors she existed were true. Then would come the persuading, convincing this stranger whom the family had turned its back on that she should help them.
    This trip, though, had provided an unexpected bonus, something Annelise hadn’t even considered. She realized, now, how important this undertaking was for her. How vital to have an identity divorced of her family name and money, even if only for a short while.
    Picking up another boot, she sighed. She wanted to stay here for a while. She had such wonderful plans for Dottie’s upstairs apartment.
    Tomorrow, she’d stop at LeRoy’s Used Furniture and buy the comfortable, stretch-out-on-me couch she’d spotted in the display window. Maybe she’d even check out the Sew and Save for some splashy fun fabric for cushions. Of course, then, she’d have to find someone who could sew. Maybe Dottie knew someone who could help her.
    Yes, she was being hypocritical. She accepted that. While she cursed the responsibility of her money, she admitted to being shallow enough to enjoy the comfort it could provide. But it had been a long time since she’d been so excited about anything. Her chest tightened, and her fingers crushed the boots she held. She couldn’t give up on this chance for a little freedom. This was her opportunity to find herself. It was her life. Why shouldn’t she decide how she’d live it?
    Maybe she could do both herself and her grandfather a favor here in the Lone Star State.
    *  *  *
    Half an hour later, Cash pulled up in front of her new home. Grabbing bags, he headed up the steps, taking them two at a time. The man had energy to burn, Annelise thought.
    She scooped up the last two bags from the backseat and trudged behind him. Her muscles ached, reminding her she’d shoveled barn stalls all day. She didn’t know what Cash had done today, but he hadn’t mucked stalls.
    As the cashier’d rung up her purchases, she’d been appalled at the total. She hadn’t bought that much. Hadn’t bought anything that was really fun. Again, the reality of how sheltered her life had been hit home. She’d never grocery-shopped. Never had to be concerned with the basics. Someone—one of the staff—simply made certain those things were always there, always available.
    And these basics had taken a healthy nip out of her piggy bank tonight. Well, she was a working girl now. Eventually, she’d recoup her expenses.
    Except she really wouldn’t be here that long, would she?
    At the top of the outside steps, Cash moved to one side while she unlocked her door, then moved into the small kitchen area and dumped everything on the counter. Her laundry, neatly folded, lay on her table beside a small plate of Dottie’s wonderful homemade cookies. Smack on top of the pile were her bra and panties.
    Cash’s gaze traveled over her lingerie, and he grinned. With one